Ōdōri Park, Sapporo

Background

Ōdōri Park is the 'central axis' of Sapporo's city plan. In the early Meiji era, the Hokkaido Development Commission divided Sapporo into north and south with a firebreak, unintentionally leaving this 105-m-wide east–west green corridor; it later became the citizens' living room — in 1950, after the war, a few secondary-school students built snow statues in the park, which grew into today's world-famous 'Sapporo Snow Festival'. The summer 'Ōdōri Beer Garden' (each brewery setting up its own stretch block by block), the autumn 'Autumn Fest' (a Hokkaido food festival) and the winter 'White Illumination' turn the park into 'Sapporo's tree rings' through the seasons, and locals love to be photographed here for life's big moments (graduation, proposals, retirement).

Local customs

• Sapporo people's park etiquette has a northern openness: in the summer beer gardens, sharing tables and clinking glasses with strangers is normal, and a shout of 'otsukaresama' makes you friends
• but rubbish must be sorted, and most glasses carry a deposit, so return them. During the Snow Festival, citizens work with the Ground Self-Defense Force to build the large snow statues, and locals bring their children to 'find their neighbourhood association's work'. Soy-glazed grilled corn from the corn carts (tōkibi wagon) is a park speciality, best 'eaten while walking and finished while hot'. When the winter lights come on, couples posing for photos under the TV Tower is Sapporo-style romance.

Religion & beliefs

• Ōdōri Park is a public municipal park with no religious character, so no worship etiquette is needed. During big events such as the Snow Festival and White Illumination, follow crowd control and staff directions
• the snow statues and ice sculptures are works of art — climbing, touching or carving them is strictly forbidden. Picnic only in designated areas
• barbecues and any open flames are banned (food at the beer gardens is grilled by the stalls). In winter the paths ice over, so wear non-slip shoes, keep to cleared walkways and don't play by frozen fountain pools.

Travel tips

• Ōdōri subway station (Namboku, Tōzai and Tōhō lines) connects directly to each block of the park, with underground passages to escape rain and snow
• it's about 10 minutes' walk from JR Sapporo Station. The park is free and open all day
• the Sapporo TV Tower (at the east end, 147.2 m, opened 1957) has an observation deck you can buy a ticket to climb for a view. Seasonal events: the Snow Festival in early February (mainly at the Ōdōri site), the beer gardens from late July to mid-August (12:00–21:00), the Autumn Fest in September and the White Illumination from late November into December — accommodation is very tight during the Snow Festival and Golden Week, so book 2–3 months ahead. Nearby you can stroll the Tanukikōji shopping arcade (5 minutes' walk) and the Former Hokkaido Government Office (the 'red-brick office').

Maps & transport notes

• Paste '大通公園' into Google Maps to find it (Chūō-ku, Sapporo
• note that there are also places called 'Ōdōri' near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo — make sure the result is in Sapporo, or search 'さっぽろ大通公園' directly). For the TV Tower search 'さっぽろテレビ塔', and for the subway '大通駅'. The English 'Odori Park Sapporo' also works. The park runs from Nishi 1-chōme to Nishi 12-chōme
• adding the block when navigating (e.g. '大通公園 西3丁目') takes you precisely to the event area you want.